


When You Wish Upon A Stark

by rinnwrites



Series: California Dreamin': A Beach Bums Verse [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cheese, Disneyland, Dole Whip, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 21:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18677857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinnwrites/pseuds/rinnwrites
Summary: Tony had been mentioning a trip to Disneyland for weeks, the idea working its way into the most unexpected of conversations, and somehow becoming the decided-upon way to prove that Bucky could be in the world again. As Tony had convinced him, it was a safe way for him to experience noise and crowds and chaos beyond what was possible in their semi-private Malibu world...orBucky Barnes Bingo - U1: Disney





	When You Wish Upon A Stark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wakandan_wardog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakandan_wardog/gifts).



> beta? I don't know her.

“I’m just saying, you go  _ on and on _ about how you’re ‘Tony Stark, Billionaire.’ Makes it seem like you could rent the place out or something.” Bucky grumbled, looking around at the brightly colored shops teeming with brightly clothed people all around them. His shoulders were tensed and arms crossed as bodies brushed by, mothers with strollers, dads with little princesses hoisted up on their shoulders, teens in skimpy outfits with big round mouse ears perched on their heads. 

Everyone seemed to be bursting with excitement, much like Tony was, grinning eagerly at Bucky, even through the complaint. 

“And deny all of these lovely families this day in the happiest place on Earth?! That would be un-American, Scrooge McBuck!” Tony cried, elbowing him in the side. 

Bucky answered with an unimpressed quirk of his eyebrow, but Tony missed it, having turned away to snatch two sets of ridiculous mouse ear headbands from a vendor cart in the middle of ‘Main Street.’

“Besides,” he continued, undeterred by Bucky’s less than pleased expression, “this is the way Disneyland should be experienced. Like a real person.”

Tony looked wistful for a moment, and Bucky’s face softened as he watched honey brown eyes scan the crowd and the surroundings with a childlike excitement. He found himself wondering, as he often did, what it could have been like to grow up in a spotlight. To never feel normal. 

Seeing his moment, Tony stepped forward and quickly slipped the ears onto Bucky’s head, adjusting them to stand right and taking a step back to don his own, looking very satisfied with himself as he held out his hand with an idiot grin on his face. 

Bucky’s hand went immediately to touch the offending accessory, but at the shadow of hurt on Tony’s face, he left it in place, rolling his eyes fondly as he ran his fingers over the soft fur of the headband for a moment, then took Tony’s hand. 

Tony had been mentioning a trip to Disneyland for weeks, the idea working its way into the most unexpected of conversations, and somehow becoming the decided-upon way to prove that Bucky could be in the world again. As Tony had convinced him, it was a safe way for him to experience noise and crowds and chaos beyond what was possible in their semi-private Malibu world. 

While Bucky still could have made a case for a simple trip to a crowded mall at lunchtime, seeing Tony here, now, with messy brown curls tousled further by the Mickey ears settled among them, his decidedly custom-made tshirt (Iron Man wearing Mickey ears of his own), and that look of unadulterated joy on his face...

Bucky had the distinctly panicky feeling that he’d agree to anything this man asked of him. 

Or... _ was _ that tingling, fluttery feeling panic? Panic usually didn’t feel so nice. 

Before he could think longer on that, Tony was pulling him along by their joined hands, down Main Street, further into the park and eventually off to the left. 

“How about we start with something that will be familiar to you?” Tony asked, the mischief in his voice all too obvious. 

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, but he followed along, taking in their surroundings as they walked, crossing under an archway that announced ‘Frontierland,’ just before Tony stopped and gestured around them with a “Tada! Look familiar?”

They stood in the middle of a walkway, surrounded by people and buildings that very much did  _ not _ look familiar, except for the fact that Bucky would always memorize every face that he saw, and that family over there was right in front of them at the turnstiles… 

It was only when he looked from Tony’s stupid beautiful face full of amusement to the shop beside them, ‘Pioneer Mercantile’ allegedly established 1807, that he got the joke and glared at his boyfriend. 

“I was born in 1917, Tony,  _ 1917 _ .” He grumbled, and pulled Tony further along the road, having spotted a boat in the distance.

Tony snickered but followed behind him, “Might as well have been frontier times. And I reserved the right to make jokes about dating an older man a long time ago.”

Bucky was nearly able to drown him out, having come to a stop at the edge of a small river, and feeling grounded by the presence of the water. It wasn’t the ocean, but ever since Malibu, the water felt safe. He couldn’t wade into it and feel the pull of it around him here, but he eyed the riverboat and then looked to Tony, who fondly rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, yes, we’ll go on the boat. And you claim not to be a grandpa.” He linked an arm through Bucky’s and pulled him towards the short lines that lead to the ride’s entrance. “After this, though,” he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder where the peak of a mountain stood tall. “Big Thunder Mountain.”

“Whatever you say.” Bucky agreed, moving them a few steps closer to boarding the boat. 

 

*****

 

The riverboat was as good a substitute for the calming ocean as expected, not perfect, but enough. 

It had the added bonus of giving Bucky some bearings. The strategic voice in his head - the one he’d accepted would never go away - was at least somewhat satisfied with the ‘recon’ the tour provided, which made it easier to settle into his skin and follow an excited Tony towards the ride that was ‘one of my favorites Bucky, you’re gonna love it!’ 

The day is still young, and the line not terribly long, though Bucky won’t complain about just standing with Tony, arms around his waist as the man leans comfortably on his chest, chattering excitedly now and again about the park, or it’s history, occasionally pointing out Iron Man merch with a smug grin. 

It’s nice, just being together, and feeling normal. They get looks, sure, Tony because of who he is, and Bucky...either for that or for his arm, but somehow no one crowds them, Tony’s only approached twice for an autograph as they wait in line, and finally they’re at the front. 

“We’ll go in the back, that way you can see everyone.” Tony murmured, towing Bucky towards the last car of the tiny empty train in front of them.

Bucky smiled fondly, pleasantly surprised and reminded of how instinctually caring Tony is when he does something like this, notices something that might be a trigger and handles it before Bucky can even consider it. He’d gotten quite lucky with whatever this thing was. 

They settled into the seat and Tony pulled the lap bar down, then whooped excitedly when the train started to move. The rocking was gentle and the breeze was nice, but as they plunged into darkness shortly into the ride, Bucky found himself reaching out for Tony’s hand, comforted as the genius squeezed it reassuringly. 

Before he knew it they were back in the light and at the ride’s first summit, they lingered at the top for a moment, then began the quick looping descent. 

Bucky’s stomach dropped, but in a pleasant, giddy way, and he even heard a bark of surprised laughter from his own mouth. It was  _ fun _ . 

The gentle coaster rose and fell again, and Bucky was chuckling along with Tony as it ended, delight lighting up his eyes.

“Okay, okay, maybe you were right, I liked it.” He laughed again at Tony’s satisfied face, and followed him out of the train car and into the crowd of people pushing towards the exit. A couple of children darted by, pushing between the pair, and then a group of rowdy teenagers, playfully shoving at one another jostled by them, one pushing another right into Bucky, and slamming his left elbow back into a metal railing.

The contact sent a vibration up his prosthetic, the feeling of it reaching his collarbone, the top of his spine, and jarring him enough that his giddy mood quickly dissipated, his breath quickening. 

Tony watched as it happened, face concerned and hands soft as he tried to guide Bucky the rest of the way out of the ride’s exit. Another crowd of people chose just then to push past, and Bucky could feel himself panicking, jumping at the contact of each stranger that touched him, gasping as he tried to take in air, and unable to make his lungs work properly. 

“Okay, okay, okay it’s alright. You’re gonna be fine. It’s a panic attack, that’s all. Get ‘em all the time. We’ll just get you out of here, yep, that’s right.” Tony spoke in his ear, low and calm, one arm around Bucky’s waist while the other indiscriminately pushed people out of their way, away from the ride, back towards the water, the way they’d come. 

Tony settled Bucky down on an empty bench, as tucked away as they could get into the shade and off the walkway, muttering reassuringly to him all the while, “Here we are, take a load off, there you go. Great, you’re alright, Buck, honey, you just breathe for me, okay? Breathe through it, You got me, I’m right here and it’s gonna be just fine.” He rubbed his hands over Bucky’s shoulders soothingly, watching his face as Bucky kept trying to suck in air, eventually feeling his lungs fill, and the panic subside. 

He clutched at Tony’s hands, eyes closed as he focused on the rise and fall of his own shoulders, the feeling of the wooden bench beneath him, and slowly the tension in his back eased. Bucky didn’t know how long they’d been sitting there by the time he sighed heavily, and looked up at Tony. He scrubbed a hand over his face and ran his fingers through his hair, accidentally dislodging the ears, which, somehow, as he caught them in his hands and looked down at them, made him smile.

Tony’s eyes softened with relief at the expression and he smiled too, plucking the ears from Bucky’s hands and gently resettling them on his head, “feeling better?”

Bucky winced, but nodded, “Yeah, sorry. I was just...” he trailed off, shrugging.

“Don’t be sorry. I get it. We can keep it low key for the rest of the day, head back home?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Let’s stay. Just maybe, uh, sit for a few more minutes.”

Tony grinned, clearly pleased with the decision, “Sure, long as you need.” His eyes lit up as an idea hit him and Bucky raised his eyebrows even as Tony asked, “Will you be okay for just a minute? I’m gonna go get us something. You’ll like it.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, but nodded. He could sit on a bench by himself without freaking out. Probably. 

In a flash, Tony was off, and Bucky rubbed his fingers over the seam between prosthetic and shoulder, willing away the ghost of the vibration from earlier, but before he could worry at it for too long, Tony was back with two plastic cups towering with…”Ice cream?” Bucky asked.

He got a grin in return as Tony handed him one of the cups along with a spoon. “Not exactly. This, Prince Charming, is Dole Whip, and it will change your life.”

Bucky eyed it cautiously, then shrugged, scooped up a spoonful, and popped it into his mouth. He made a horrified face, glowering between the dessert and Tony’s face for a moment, as the first sweet, tangy bite melted in his mouth. 

Tony looked alarmed, sitting down on the bench beside him with clear concern for his reaction, “What? Oh my god you’re not allergic to pineapple?” 

“It’s delicious.” Bucky snarled, catching Tony off guard.

“It’s-? Wait, what?”

But Bucky was already shoveling another bite into his mouth, all the while looking downright  _ murderous _ that he was eating something so delightful. “Why is it so good and  _ WHY,  _ do we not have them at home?!” he demanded, gesturing threateningly at Tony with his spoon.

Finally, Tony laughed, deep and full, barely able to keep himself upright. “For you, darling, I’ll install a machine on every floor when we get back. Bottomless Dole Whip in every room. But you’ll have to explain to Stella when I 30 pounds.”

His glare faltered and Bucky finally grinned, chuckling at the idea of that before turning his attention back to his snack. 

They sat for a few moments in comfortable silence, eating their treats and watching people pass by. Bucky felt himself fully relax, recovered from his slip, able to breathe and just happy to have Tony by his side, and well….maybe Tony was right, and this trip wasn’t the worst idea in the world. 

“I guess I should feel relieved about one thing,” Bucky finally spoke up, eyeing Tony’s furry ears again.

A curious look from Tony told him to go on. 

Bucky grinned, nodding his head at a couple in the crowd, “You could have dressed us like that.”

A couple of men walked lazily along the shady path, arms looped around one another, the backs of their t-shirts lining up perfectly to put together two halves of a rainbow Mickey Mouse head. 

Tony shrugged, tossing his empty cup into a nearby trash can. “I figured I’d save it for when we come back on our honeymoon.” 

Bucky’s eyes widened and he choked on his last spoonful,  groaning at the wave of brain freeze that accompanied it, even as he stood to chase behind Tony, who’d punctuated his words with a mad dash away from their bench and back in the direction they’d come. 

The chase after him was short, Bucky running after and deftly dodging a couple of strollers before Tony abruptly stopped, causing Bucky to run right into him, knocking him off balance. He automatically looped his arms around Tony’s slim waist to keep them both upright. 

Tony, for one, seemed undisturbed by the collision, eyes saucer-wide as he gazed up at a large blue bear. Bucky would have been a little disoriented, but Tony had warned him ahead of time about the giant fur characters that wandered the park. 

The bear held a little boy in one arm, turning him towards the boy’s parents for a picture. Bucky nudged Tony in the stomach. “You okay?” he murmured in his ear, knowing something was going on here that he didn’t understand. 

“I…” Tony faltered for a moment and Bucky gave him time as they watched the bear set down the little boy and stretch out his arms to hold his sister. “That’s, uh. Baloo, from the Jungle Book. It was always my favorite movie...I used to watch it with...with Jarvis when I was a kid, Ana would scold us for getting the Bear Necessities stuck in her head.” His voice only wobbled a little. 

Bucky didn’t respond, only tightened his arms around Tony’s waist, holding him to his chest as he let Tony take this moment.

When the family with the bear walked away, the character seemed to notice them looking and came forward, waving silently at them with his ever-present cheerful expression. Bucky smiled, pushing Tony forward as the bear held out his arms. The character pulled Tony into a hug, and Bucky slipped his phone out of his pocket, documenting the sweet exchange with a series of photos, then a few more as the bear turned and pointed for Tony to look at the camera. 

Tony rolled his eyes like he was exasperated, but there was a softness on his face that went right to Bucky’s heart and he reminded himself to make sure this picture wasn’t eternally lost in the annals of his camera roll. 

 

*****

 

The rest of their day passed in relatively uneventful manner, or at least, with both of them avoiding any further emotional outbursts or crowd induced trauma. 

Well, there was the “it’s a small world” ride that Tony insisted upon and that made Bucky want to claw his eardrums out, and the first time that Tony had slapped him on the arm as he yelled “HIDDEN MICKEY!” and pointed triumphantly to a vaguely mouse-shaped smudge on wall in one of the rides….

But  _ other _ than that, the day passed without further incident, and by the end, Bucky was feeling confidently comfortable amongst the masses that had only grown throughout the long day they’d spend traipsing about the park. 

“Well we’ve ridden every ride, and you’ve eaten more Dole Whip than I thought humanly possible - though with a super soldier I suppose nothing should surprise me anymore - but I have one last thing to show you.”

Bucky smiled, feeling game for whatever Tony might suggest at this point as the sun set over the park. “Yeah?”

“Yes!” Tony reiterated, excited once more, “It’s time we visited the castle.” 

They were standing just beside it already, the tunnel back to the entrance of the park in front of them, and a door marked as the castle’s entrance a few steps away. Bucky headed towards it, but Tony’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Not that way.” 

There was something mischievous in his eyes as he turned to lead the way around one side of the castle, where a nondescript door stood, and when Tony went to open it, it audibly unlocked, and Bucky’s eyebrows shot up, but Tony only smiled, ushering Bucky into a stairwell that lacked the charm of the rest of the park, and clearly wasn’t intended for the average guest. 

They trekked up a huge number of stairs until finally coming to a small room, one that certainly had to be the highest point in the castle. 

The room itself wasn’t much, but the view from the window was the real attraction. Bucky looked out over the front of the park and couldn’t help the gentle feeling of awe. 

“Well?” Tony prodded for a reaction and Bucky only shook his head and smiled, letting the look in his eyes answer for him. 

They stood in silence for a moment before Bucky spoke again, “I thought we were supposed to experience Disneyland the way everyone else does.”

“Dear, I don’t do anything the way everyone else does.”

Bucky laughed, gazing out at the park, where darkness had fallen over the masses below, dots of color popping up here and there from glowing souvenirs, and the pathways washed in warm lamplight. 

A look over to Tony showed something even warmer.

“No, I suppose you don’t.” he smiled, leaning forward and cupping the back of Tony’s neck. Bucky pulled him close and kissed him softly, and as his eyes fell closed well, maybe he let himself get lost in thoughts of princes and fairy tales. 


End file.
